"James P. Hogan - Giants 2 - The Gentle Giants of Ganymede" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

The Gentle Giants of Ganymede -- James P. Hogan

(Version 2002.02.12 -- Done)


To my wife, Lyn, who showed me that greener grass can always be made to
grow on whatever side of the field one happens to be.


Prologue

Leyel Torres, commander of the scientific observation base near the
equator on Iscaris III, closed the final page of the report that he had been
reading and stretched back in his chair with a grateful sigh. He sat for a
while, enjoying the feeling of relaxation as the seat adjusted itself to
accommodate his new posture, and then rose to pour himself a drink from one of
the flasks on a tray on the small table behind his desk. The drink was cool
and refreshing, and quickly dispelled the fatigue that had begun to build up
inside him after more than two hours of unbroken concentration. Not much
longer now, he thought. Two months more and they should be saying good-bye to
this barren ball of parched rock forever and returning to the clean, fresh,
infinite star-speckled blackness that lay between here and home.
He cast his eye around the inside of the study of his private quarters
in the conglomeration of domes, observatory buildings and communications
antennas that had been home for the last two years. He was tired of the same,
endless month-in, month-out routine. The project was exciting and stimulating
it was true, but enough was enough; going home, as far as he was concerned,
couldn't come a day too soon.
He walked slowly over to the side of the room and stared for a second or
two at the blank wall in front of him. Without turning his head he said aloud:
"View panel. See-through mode."
The wall immediately became one-way transparent, presenting him with a
clear view out over the surface of Iscaris III. From the edge of the jumble of
constructions and machinery that made up the base, the dry, uniform reddish-
brown crags and boulders stretched all the way to the distinctly curved
skyline where they abruptly came to an end beneath a curtain of black velvet
embroidered with stars. High above, the fiery orb of Iscaris blazed
mercilessly, its reflected rays filling the room with a warm glow of orange
and red. As he looked out across the wilderness, a sudden longing welled up
inside him for the simple pleasure of walking under a blue sky and breathing
in the forgotten exhilaration of a wind blowing free. Yes, indeed -- departure
couldn't come a day too soon.
A voice that seemed to issue from nowhere in particular in the room
interrupted his musings.
"Marvyl Chariso is requesting to be put through, Commander. He says it's
extremely urgent."
"Accept," Torres replied. He turned about to face the large view screen
that occupied much of the opposite wall. The screen came alive at once to
reveal the features of Chariso, a senior physicist, speaking from an
instrumentation laboratory in the observatory. His face registered alarm.